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A new strategy of surging more vaccine doses into coronavirus hotspots, including “red zones” like Massachusetts, was floated by a former FDA commissioner on Sunday as virus cases yet again spike in the Bay State.
Massachusetts’ rising case counts were highlighted on national TV Sunday morning. Former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the feds should start sending more vaccine doses to hotspots including the Bay State.
“What we’re seeing around the nation right now, which is worrisome, are outbreaks in certain states — Michigan, the metro Detroit area, Boston around Massachusetts, the Tri-state region, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, are experiencing an upsurge of infection,” Gottlieb said on CBS’ “Face The Nation.”
“And I think what we need to do is try to … surge vaccine into those parts of the country,” he said.
The state’s daily virus cases have shot up by more than 40% since the first week of March after infections had been declining for weeks. During the week of March 7, the average case tally was 1,329 cases compared to an average of 1,866 cases in the last week.
“I feel this could be the start of the third wave,” Yarmouth Health Director Bruce Murphy told the Herald. “It’s a combination of things between the new variants, people not taking all the precautions, going to social gatherings, not wearing masks.
“We really need to move to emergency vaccination sites to get ahead of this next wave,” he said.
Pulsing more vaccine into hotspots like Massachusetts is “definitely a logical step to take,” said Boston University infectious diseases specialist Davidson Hamer.
“It makes sense to enhance the immunization in places where there’s a surge in cases,” Hamer added.
Last week, Massachusetts announced a partnership between FEMA and the state that will increase total daily doses at Hynes Convention Center by 6,000 additional daily shots.
But if virus cases keep surging, Gov. Charlie Baker should strongly consider pulling back to an earlier reopening phase, Hamer said.
“I’m concerned that we’re going to continue seeing a rise in cases,” he said.
Statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped dramatically since the start of the vaccine rollout, but started ticking up this week — from 580 patients on March 20 to 654 patients on Friday. The winter surge peak was 2,428 patients on Jan. 4.
“COVID hospitalizations declined by 15% since March 1, which is when Massachusetts adjusted some restrictions and since then, vaccination rates here continue to outperform the rest of the nation, especially among older residents and other vulnerable populations, with 80% of individuals over the age of 75 receiving at least one dose,” Baker administration spokeswoman Sarah Finlaw said in a statement.
“This progress has enabled Massachusetts to take additional steps to safely reopen our economy and the Administration will continue to carefully monitor all public health data as the Commonwealth continues to move through the phased reopening process,” she added.
More than 60% of Massachusetts virus cases in the last two weeks have been people under 40.
“We will see more cases and hospitalizations, but I believe the worst is behind us,” said Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases at South Shore Health. “Mostly because a good chunk of our most vulnerable have been vaccinated.
“We need to keep getting as many people vaccinated as possible,” he added, “And when the vaccine is opened up to the younger population, they should jump in line and get it as quickly as possible.”
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